Stolen Past
by otakuconvention
Summary: A boy with no name and a hero with a vital mission. They could not know the importance of their meeting and the task that has been given to them. Can the two overcome the trails that await them and learn to trust or even like each other? Can the boy find his past? All the answers in here, folks! Rated M


Okay so quick comment from me before we start; I've never submitted anything to this site or any other site for that matter. I write quite a lot but I've never put any of my stuff out there where it may meet possible criticism. But I figure the only way I'm gonna improve is by getting feedback, right? So without beating around the bush, reviews would be much appreciated. Anyway that's enough from me, enjoy the show!

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**Part One**

He was roused by the ominous rumble of thunder in the distance. Scrambling to his feet his instincts led him to take cover against a nearby tree, causing him to yelp slightly as his left shoulder hit the tree with more force than he had intended. His eyes wildly scanned the thick forest that surrounded him, checking for a threat that he wasn't sure existed. As his heart rate slowed from a desperate pounding to a cautious thump as he considered his situation – He knew this was the first time he had seen this forest, leading him to the further thought that he couldn't remember how he got there – or where he came from. A puzzled expression painting his features, he pushed away from the tree and stepped into the clearing whence he was awoken.

"Agh!" He hissed as he felt a sharp pain burn through his foot. He glanced down to see that not only was he barefoot, but he was wearing next to nothing safe for some short, black leggings. Addressing the pain he had felt previous, he lifted his foot and turned it so he could see the cause of it. There was a small, sharp stone sticking into his heel a fair way, causing him to wince at the sight of it. At that moment he lost his balance, falling backwards onto the hard ground. The air residing in his lungs vacated as he hit the floor causing him to let out a pathetic whimper. He lay on his back and stared upwards as he waited for his senses to return to him. The forest wasn't as dense as he had earlier supposed – the canopys of the trees not being the suffocating blanket he had expected. There were plenty of breaks in the trees, allowing him to see the sky. "Where am I?" He spluttered as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He was transfixed by the sky – total cloud cover but somehow getting darker. The youngster let out a deep sigh and reached down, pulling his wounded foot closer to him. The realisation had hit him that there would be a storm very soon and if he didn't fix himself up and get in to shelter then he would be in a lot of trouble indeed. However there was an obstacle between him and shelter – the nasty companion he had clinging to the bottom of his foot. Carefully gripping the stone he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He took a sharp intake of breath as the stone was pulled from its moorings, sliding out of the soft flesh of the boy's foot. Like a river breaking a dam, the blood came rushing out of the hole left by the stone and started running down to the edge of the boy's foot, soaking in to the dirt. The boy carefully placed his foot back down on the ground and held the stone up in front of his face, observing it with a morbid interest. After a chain of thought that did not make any sense to him, he closed his fingers around the stone and claimed ownership, still unsure of his reason for doing so. Groaning he pulled himself to his knees, being extra careful to not put too much weight on his wounded foot. This is when he spotted it – the danger he had originally sensed.

Frozen on the spot the boy looked ahead amongst the thick trunks of the trees to see a different shape – definitely not plant in structure. It was built like a boulder – huge front legs that no doubt obscured equally as huge hind legs, supported it's hulking frame. It stood stock still in the mid distance, it's head and face still shrouded by the shadows of the trees. The youngster's breath caught in his throat as he stared into the darkness. After what seemed like an eternity of staring, he had almost convinced himself that the figure amongst the trees was indeed a large rock, dressed up as a threat by an over-active (and apparently morbid) imagination. This faux relief melted away however as the shape contorted and shifted towards him. The boy's breaths became shallow and frenzied as he tried to will himself on to his feet – but no matter how hard he willed, his body would not comply. The shadow sped up now, moving close to the ground and with purpose. The boy finally willed himself to his feet, but staggered as the wound on his foot widened after coming into contact with the cold, rough earth. The predator took this as an opportunity and lunged for him, it's terrible jaws catching the light of the clearing as it leapt.

What happened next seemed to be a multitude of events compressed into a single few fleeting instants: In his periphery, the boy saw another boy sitting right next to him, staring back at him in horrified suspense. The next thing he knew, the beast had hit the ground – it's heavy body making a sickening crack as it slid to a stop meters from the terrified boy. The beast was stone dead – an arrow protruding from it's mouth like a macabre party blower. The boy stared forwards in shock at the mighty beast – now silenced henceforth. The other boy was still there, sharing his shocked expression, now sporting a single track of blood across his delicate face.

"Are you alright?" A voice murmured impatiently. The boy was confused – the voice did not come from the boy silently staring into his eyes. "Hey!" The voice got more impatient. The boy shook his head and gathered himself slightly. It now became clear that the other boy he could see was not a boy at all, but a reflection. A reflection in a shield. His reflection. The owner of the shield ducked down to his level, setting his bow down. This face was different – a cold stare met his panicked one. "What are you doing out here?" The man asked. The boy looked from the corpse of the hulking killer to this new face.

"Did you do that?" He whimpered. The young man stared at him in confusion before waving his bow slightly.

"With this," He nodded as he protectively caressed his bow. "I'm Link." He said, barely managing to feign interest in this tattered boy he had just saved. The boy remembered that now would be the time to introduce himself, but he had no idea what his name was, or in fact who he was at all.

"I'm sorry I," He didn't know exactly how to word it. "I don't know my name." Link's face fell from near disinterest to active suspicion.

"You don't know your own name, or why you were out here playing with that?" He gestured over to the beast now bleeding out on the soft ground. The boy shook his head. Link stood up and walked over to the corpse. He was taller than the boy and stronger-looking. He wore green, armoured clothes and a hat which inadequately covered his sandy-brown hair.

"C-can I see your shield again?" Link pulled the arrow out of the creature's maw, not flinching at the crunch of the skull being dragged into the head cavity as he yanked.

"Why?" He asked, his suspicion still very evident.

"Please?" The boy asked again, his voice little more than a whisper. Link rolled his eyes and walked over to him, the arrow trailing blood as he made his way over. Link pulled his shield off his arm and dug it slightly in to the floor in front of the nameless boy. The youngster stared into the reflective surface, not even noticing the beautiful and intricate design. He stared into the reflection. "So this is what I look like." He mouthed, gaining the interest of Link. The boy who stared from the shield was young and scared. His features were smooth and fragile – dark brown hair falling down over scared, blue eyes. He slowly lifted his hand up and ran it down his cheek, smearing some of the monster's blood. He and the reflection asked each other the same question:

"_Who am I?_"


End file.
